European Union elections 2014

[SkaggCannibal]

The eventual privatisation of the railways is a point on the agenda of the EU yes, it was why Belgium had to re-organise it's railways to eventually fit into a future European privatised railroads network. It was a failure here and it's getting another re-organisation. Fault wasn't entirely the EU's because Belgium just didn't listen to the recommendations on how to do it. Now they will organise it as it was recommended. But I believe there will indead be fierce resistance against any privatisation, the railways are already the number one strikers.

[Deedles]

Voting in locals and Europeans on Friday. I know I'll be giving my 1 to the Greens in Europe and who my 2 and 3 will be, but not the order.

The locals have me stumped. Going through the candidates, No, no, maybe, will get a preference, maybe, no, no, fock no, not a chance, will get a preference, will get a preference. It's bad when there are more people I couldn't vote for than those I could. I'm particularly "fond" of the poster declaring "declaration of war" in huge typeface, followed by "through legal and peaceful means" in much smaller font. Muppet.

[SeanF]

I shall gladly vote UKIP tomorrow.

[Commodore]

@YouGov · 1h

European Election Final Call - 21st May: Con 22%, Lab 26%, LD 9%, UKIP 27%, Green 10%

[Sophelia]

Argh. :( Generally things have not come out well: lots of anti-EU and nationalistic sentiment, it appears. UK bad, France worse. Denmark, Austria... what is happening here?

I remain doggedly European and in favour of supporting each other not returning to selfish parochialism or worse. I'm relieved in the UK Labour is regaining some ground, counteracting the lurch towards UKIP. I understand why the LibDems were crushed (who can trust them again?), but the UKIP sentiment is just incomprehensible to me (anti-EU, anti-immigration, anti-environment, anti human rights, giving money back to the rich, pro-monarchy, as well as anti-feminist, homophobic etc.). The only thing which sounds good is free dental checkups, hardly a reason to throw out all human decency. :ack:

[The Marquis de Leech]

The ECB's handling of the economic crisis over the last few years has done the EU no favours. As ugly as these results were (and let's face it, France voting for the National Front is nothing if not ugly), they make perfect sense as a revolt against the status quo.

(The tragedy is that this entire thing has caught the European Left so flat-footed. You'd have thought that the EU pushing right-wing economics would have made the Left more sceptical about the EU. Clearly not).

[HairGrowsBack]

I'm so disgusted with France.

Overall I just find it laughable that anti european parties would run for european elections, and people against Europe would massively vote in said elections What a bunch of hypocrites.

[Biter]

Argh. :( Generally things have not come out well: lots of anti-EU and nationalistic sentiment, it appears. UK bad, France worse. Denmark, Austria... what is happening here?

Indeed. :(

Here's the results from Sweden, the number of seats each party will have, and the change in seats;

Social Democrats: 6

Moderates: 3 (-1)

Green Party: 3 (+1)

Liberal People's Party: 2 (-1)

Sweden Democrats (far-right party): 2 (+2)

Feminist Initiative: 1 (+1)

Christian Democrats: 1

Centre Party: 1

Left Party: 1

Pirate Party: 0 (-2)

The support for FI and Soraya Post was an interesting surprise to me. The strong support for the Green Party as well, so I guess it's not all doom and gloom.

[The Marquis de Leech]

Overall I just find it laughable that anti european parties would run for european elections, and people against Europe would massively vote in said elections What a bunch of hypocrites.

It's running (and voting) to make a point.

[Happy Ent]

Overall I just find it laughable that anti european parties would run for european elections, and people against Europe would massively vote in said elections What a bunch of hypocrites.

I don’t understand that sentiment.

Which other way (under the umbrella of democracy) should people express their opinion? If, say, you’re in favour of a Europe de patries (instead of a federation), which democratic body should get your confidence? Why is it hypocritical? Explain.

The UK is extra interesting for somebody like me who obsesses about election schemes. What a difference proportional representation makes!

———

I’d say that last night was a great win for democracy. European politics is a lot more interesting than before. I love it.

Now let’s get the EP to actually form a government.

[Sixshells]

Really the eurosceptic votes in some countries won't change anything. The people who spent the last years pushing for unbearable and counter productive answers to the crises are still there and will continue to do more harm than good.

[Alex.]

Limmy said it best on twitter last night. It's not enough to ridicule or try and write off far right wing parties such as UKIP and that set of French fascists. You have to absolutely fucking hate them and pile on them at every turn otherwise their weird scared-of-everything outlook will reach a certain amount of people every time.

Anyway, UKIP's vote share fell and their massive minority of 27% of 30-ish% of the voting population should see them comfortably arrive at Westminster with a whopping zero MP's again in the next general election.

[Eyron]

The results in my city are really interesting. Winner by 18 % was the Green party, and the left block together with FI has the majority by far.

This makes the coming autumn election very interesting, even though the trend is that more people vote Green and for the odd parties in the EU election than in the Municipality and Parliament elections.

[Happy Ent]

The results in my city are really interesting. Winner by 18 % was the Green party, and the left block together with FI has the majority by far.

Similar trend to where I live. I actually counted votes (as an election judge) last night and saw all these MP and F!-votes stacked up with my own eyes.

[The Marquis de Leech]

Anyway, UKIP's vote share fell and their massive minority of 27% of 30-ish% of the voting population should see them comfortably arrive at Westminster with a whopping zero MP's again in the next general election.

The vote share dropped because a different lot were voting - the Shires vs metropolitan centres. Were I a betting man, I'd give the UKIP a half-decent chance of winning the likes of Great Yarmouth at the next general election. They certainly won't win more than a handful of seats though.

[Eyron]

Similar trend to where I live. I actually counted votes (as an election judge) last night and saw all these MP and F!-votes stacked up with my own eyes.

I can imagine that was very interesting! I actually got the job (counting votes in the national election) once many years ago, but I had to decline since the logistics of going to that city and classes I had to attend wasn't possible.

If the statistics I saw last night (that I can't seem to find on the internet yet) are correct, the SD party got a majority of their votes from the 30+ generations, which I thought was a great relief.

[Alex.]

The vote share dropped because a different lot were voting - the Shires vs metropolitan centres. Were I a betting man, I'd give the UKIP a half-decent chance of winning the likes of Great Yarmouth at the next general election. They certainly won't win more than a handful of seats though.

yeah, that's a good point. Hadn't fully considered that.

[Lyanna Stark]

The results in my city are really interesting. Winner by 18 % was the Green party, and the left block together with FI has the majority by far.

This makes the coming autumn election very interesting, even though the trend is that more people vote Green and for the odd parties in the EU election than in the Municipality and Parliament elections.

At least when it comes to Fi, people can sort of assume they will make the 4% bar. Wonder if KD and C will be so lucky in the national elections as they turned out to be in the European.

I was sort of surprised by the Greens, but overall it seems Sweden is not so much leaning a bit more left as lurching heavily to the left (minus SD).

[Jon AS]

I have to say, I'm not sure I've ever been as unenthusiastic about casting a vote as I was in yesterday's European election. I simply didn't think it would make much of a difference unless we can get more power invested in the parliament. I guess the advantage of CDU/CSU going for the "damn furrigners leeching off our hard earned money" vote is that we didn't have a significant vote share going to purely xenophobic parties. :rolleyes:

It was a bit more fun at the local level, as I could vote for my sister, who ran for city council. Successfully, I might add.

[Bastard of Savolax]

I'm so disgusted with France.

Overall I just find it laughable that anti european parties would run for european elections, and people against Europe would massively vote in said elections What a bunch of hypocrites.

Anti-EU does not automatically equal anti-European. In my mind anything anti-EU is very much pro-Europe. Democracy´s a bitch, eh? How else do you change something you´re unhappy with if not voting?

Limmy said it best on twitter last night. It's not enough to ridicule or try and write off far right wing parties such as UKIP and that set of French fascists. You have to absolutely fucking hate them and pile on them at every turn otherwise their weird scared-of-everything outlook will reach a certain amount of people every time.

Once again, democracy´s a bitch, eh?